Question
You arrive at a crime scene at
owner of the store has been shot to death. If ambient conditions are ideal, what would be the
approximate temperature of the liver if the shooting happened 4 hours prior to your arrival at
the scene?
owner of the store has been shot to death. If ambient conditions are ideal, what would be the
approximate temperature of the liver if the shooting happened 4 hours prior to your arrival at
the scene?
Ask by Schwartz Spencer. in the United States
Mar 28,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
The liver’s approximate temperature 4 hours after death is about 31°C (87.8°F).
Solution
To determine the approximate temperature of the liver 4 hours after death, we can use the concept of post-mortem cooling. The rate of cooling of the body after death is influenced by several factors, including the ambient temperature, the size of the body, and the clothing worn by the deceased.
Given that the ambient conditions are ideal, we can assume a steady-state cooling process. The rate of cooling can be estimated using the following formula:
Where:
- Initial Temperature is the body temperature at the time of death (approximately 37°C or 98.6°F).
- Cooling Rate is the rate at which the body cools down per hour.
- Time is the time elapsed since death.
The cooling rate can be estimated as follows:
- For a body in a warm environment (around 20°C or 68°F), the cooling rate is approximately 1.5°C (2.7°F) per hour.
- For a body in a cool environment (around 10°C or 50°F), the cooling rate is approximately 2.5°C (4.5°F) per hour.
Since the ambient conditions are ideal, we will use the cooling rate for a warm environment.
Given that the shooting happened 4 hours prior to your arrival at the scene, we can calculate the approximate temperature of the liver as follows:
Therefore, the approximate temperature of the liver 4 hours after death would be around 31°C (87.8°F).
Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor
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Simplify this solution Extra Insights
When determining the approximate temperature of the liver post-mortem, it’s helpful to know that the average body temperature is typically around 37°C (98.6°F), and the body generally cools at a rate of about 1.5°C (3°F) per hour under ideal conditions. If the shooting occurred 4 hours prior to your arrival at 10:00 pm, that means it happened around 6:00 pm.
Starting with a normal body temp of 37°C (98.6°F) and cooling for 4 hours at 1.5°C per hour, the body would cool approximately:
1.5°C/hour * 4 hours = 6°C.
1.5°C/hour * 4 hours = 6°C.
So, the liver temperature would be about 37°C - 6°C = 31°C (87.8°F) upon your arrival.
Always remember, various factors can influence the cooling rate, including ambient temperature and body size!
